The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-07-07
The Virginia Western Railroad.

The Baltimore San, OF recent date, has |
the following interesting article in rela-
tion to the Virginia Western Railroad |
scheme:
The construction of the projected trunk line
from Memphis eastward through Tennessee to
cumberland Gap, and thence up through South
western Virginia to some point on the Rich
mond and Allegheny Railroad, near Buchanan,
in Botetourt county, would seem to be assured
by the liberal subscriptions tor construction
purposes already obtained or in sight For
that portion of it lying in West tennessee
S7O9,O0O was subscribed by bankers, manufac-
turers and other business men of Richmond
some days ago, and, in addition to the sub
scriptions obtained from the counties traverseds
$9000O9 OF subscriptions are assured from rem
nessee capitalists. The aggresate OF these
sums will much more than suffice for the III
ception of the first 135 Understanding from
Memphis to some point in Humphreys county,
on the Tennessee river. This link we are in
formed will be begun at once by the Virginia
Construction Company, and will be open for
traffic within one year from the present time.
There will still remain about 700 miles TO De
built between the Tennessee river and Cum
berland Gap for which ADVERTISEMENTS i ARE IN
to be the name of the line IN Iennessee-Wlli
traverse fine agricultural. numbering and
mineral country In this part OF It's course, The
region resembling in the character OF its pro
ducts the similarly situated regions 0. West
ward from Cumberland Gap the line will con
tinue $50 miles under the name OF the Vlr-
ginia Western through seote hn oS1 r, Rot
",nnrt' from which easy Connection will be
had with the Valley Road, the shenandoah
Valley and the Richmond and Allegheny,
which will constitute its means of access to
Baltimore, Philadelphia and Richmond. The
connties named are famous for excellent ores,
limestones and coal. The Cripple Creek field,
when the Virginia Western Will open up is
said to produce the best coke and purest iron
ore in The country. The coke of this district
ayeraQes 92.5 per cent. of liked carbon, as
against $50 per cent. for Connellsville coke,
sos per cent. for Chattanoog coke. and S7.2 per
cent for Birmingham coke, the proportion OF
sulphur. phosphorus and ash also being de-
mel aliic iron of the Cripple Greek ores aver
ages over So per cent. as against III and - pei
cent, respectively, for Birmingham and Chatta-
nOoga ores. The phosphorus in some OF the
Cripple Creek ores is but little over one-tent
sof one per cent, in others two-tenths, as
against three-tenths i'll the Birmingham ano
Chattanooga ores. Besides those beds of Goa
and ore, the road will give access to copper
lead, zinc, manganese, piaster ana SAN mines INES
marble quarries. and vast forests CONTAINING
white pine, white oak. poplar, cherry, walnut
hickory, MAPLE ash aid other valuable woods
"Birmingham and Chattanooga. 1T has beer
said stand on but one leg, and that q very
common low grade of iron ore and coal. whil'
Southwest Virginia has the double footing o
high grade ores and Goals, and fine agricultural
and numbering resources, all i'll a healthy
climate and In region we'll supplied witt
water There are extremely valuable orr
lands along the line of the projected road II
Craig and Botetourt counties also, the purchss'
of portion of which by parties interested II
the Virginia Western was chronicled IN IN
San yesterday, There is every reason, there
fore, for the belief entertained by the Virgin
ians that the tract of country between Buch
auan and Clifton Forge, towards which thel
statesmen had their attentions strongly dl
rected over fifty years ago, W i'll yet and withii
a brief pc riod, become the scene Of mining ant
manufacturing enterprises i'll great number
With the completion of the Virginia Western
numerous railroads will virtually centre ther
the Chesapeake and Ohio, the Valley and III
Shenandoah, which the Richmond and ALE
ghauy and the Virginia Western will bring u
gether on the banks OF The James II Is IN Vie
of the large possibilities of the region in ques
tion that every scheme for developing ii mus
possess unusual interest.